Hendrik Eeckhaut, CTO

EDA start-up storyfrom the trenches

Challenge

self funded, two man team

Commercial qualityElectronic Design Automation

tool

?

2

Approach

Agility

3

AutomationReuse(Release soon, release often)

About Sigasi

Software HardwareJava VHDL

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Frustration during PhD: digital HW design

HW Development Toolkit

• Navigation

• Autocomplete

• Syntax errors

• Semantic errors

• Quick-assist/fix

• Refactoring

5

Technology Reuse

• Antlr v3 : parser

• Eclipse RCP:• IDE : framework

• LTK : refactoring

• CNF: extend project explorer

• Multi-platform : Windows, Linux, Mac

• p2 : updates

• Help : documentation (Sphinx)

• Cheat Sheets : tutorials 6

Agile development

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• First demonstrations after 6 months

• First testers afters 11 months

• Biweekly releases

• Currently 600+ beta users

release soon, release often

Invaluablefeedback

Automation

• Setup development environment

• Product Build

• Regression test server

• Weak points

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Setup development environment

• 1-click download of entire Java IDE:• JDT• PDE• SVN• Groovy• Mylyn• Findbugs

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RCP Product Build

• First (3.3 and 3.4): PluginBuilder• Now (3.5): PDE-build scripts• Few modifications in customTargets:

• obfuscation• p2-director• extra files in final zip file (JRE, license, ...)

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Regression test server

• one button release

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When things go wrong

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Test flow

~ 4 min ~ 24 min ~ 10 min

~ 15 min

PDE product build

parser tests

Maven build+ headless junit tests

plugin tests

PluginBuilder plugintests that need IProjects,...VHDL project tests

Entire RCP is build

All VHDL code we could find on the web~10 Mloc (≈400MiB)

for every commitand every night:

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History

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Extras

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Weak points

• UI tests performed manually:acceptance test before every release:

• test new features (3x10’)

• follow strict scenario (3x7’)

• Plugin tests:complete rebuild with PluginBuilder instead reusing product build

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Conclusions

Sigasi: commercial quality EDA tool?

• Reuse

• Agility

• Automation

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